Jonny Gould's Jewish State

199: Eduard Shyfrin: The journey from Soviet steelworks to faith, purpose and Jewish identity

Help Jonny continues to make his podcasts by ⁠supporting him here⁠. Born to a family who lived in a one-bedroom basement apartment in Soviet Ukraine, denied opportunity because he was Jewish, and starting out at the bottom of a steel mill, Eduard Shyfrin went on to build a vast business empire — but that’s only part of his story. In this episode, he takes us from Soviet hardship and discrimination to music, memory, reinvention and Jewish identity, revealing how a boy shaped by love, discipline and adversity became a profound Jewish thinker and entrepreneur. He's also a musician and a determined smoker! Don't miss this out-of-the-box conversation on kabbalah, data and philosophy with Eduard Shifryn. Help Jonny continues to make his podcasts by supporting him here. Jonny Gould's Jewish State is supported by Dangoor Education and UK Toremet, promoting philanthropy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BONUS EPISODE: Operation Epic Fury. US and Israel launch aerial attacks across Iran and assassinate the Ayatollah.

Find all of Jonny's podcasts and writings on his Substack pages. The October 7th War aka the 47 year long Iran Israel War is reaching a head. The head of the snake is being cut off. This is a collage of soundbites, news conferences and parliamentary statements which tell the story of how this decisive leg of the war started in the early hours of Saturday morning, the 28th February 2026. It also underscores the ideological schism that exists between Britain and Europe and on the other hand the United States. In this episode, we'll hear from Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, British opposition leader of the Conservatives Kemi Badenoch and Reform UK party leader, Nigel Farage. Think about supporting Jonny's work and find all his episodes and appearances on TV at buymeacoffee. Jonny Gould's Jewish State is supported by Dangoor Education and UK Toremet, supporting philanthropy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

198: Rawan Osman: The journey of an Arab Zionist, “I lost my family to find my truth” .

Find all of Jonny's podcasts and writings on my Substack and help me by buying a coffee. In this conversation, we meet Rawan Osman - a woman of Syrian and Lebanese heritage who grew up in a world where the "Jew" was the ultimate, untouchable enemy. Rawan’s worldview shattered during an everyday trip to a grocery store in Strasbourg. What started as a visceral panic attack at the sight of Hebrew turned into a life-altering epiphany. "That gentleman converted me from an enemy to an ally simply by deciding to be kind," she says. It wasn’t just a change of heart; it was a total identity reset. From the discovery of her Mizrahi Jewish blood to the "chutzpah" of a tradition that encourages you to argue with God, Rawan deconstructs the patterns of prejudice with unflinching clarity. But what is the personal cost of choosing conviction over comfort? How do you rebuild an identity when your family and friends remove themselves from your world? Rawan offers a roadmap for finding truth in a region defined by shadows. This isn’t just a conversion story, it’s a wake up call for the future of the Middle East. Join us for the story of Rawan Osman! Find all of Jonny's podcasts and writings on my⁠ Substack⁠ and help me by ⁠buying a coffee⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

197: From Soviet Shadows to Today's Campus Hate: Izabella Tabarovsky on How Anti-Zionism Targets All Jews Today

Find all of Jonny's podcasts, personal appearances and writing on Substack and support him with a coffee here. Parents, if you're about to send your child to university, how are you preparing them for it? Western campuses aren't all what they used to be. In this powerful conversation, I meet the brilliant Izabella Tabarovsky — a leading scholar on Soviet antisemitism and anti-Zionism, and author of Be a Refusenik: A Jewish Student’s Survival Guide. Izabella grew up under the Soviet system, where 'anti-Zionism' was the official line — and it quickly turned into suspicion of all Jews, Zionist or not. "Jews who grew up in the Soviet Union know well their copybook is being repeated here", says Izabella. And Israel hate doesn’t distinguish between the Jewish State or its diaspora or your child, the institutions become anti-Zionist, so all Jews are suspect. It doesn’t matter whether you are a Zionist or not. They don’t even understand what Zionists are. When they speak about Zionists they mean you and me. The Iron Curtain hate of the Cold War-era has resurfaced in universities in the UK, US, Europe, and beyond — dressed up in modern language, but delivering the same chilling results: isolation, hostility, and erasure of Jewish identity. What does this mean for your son or daughter heading off in their first weeks away from home? How can families prepare? What lessons from Soviet refuseniks can help Jewish students thrive — or simply survive — in today's environment? Izabella breaks it down with unflinching clarity: the patterns, the propaganda echoes, and practical steps parents and students must take now. This isn't just history repeating — it's a wake-up call for the present. This is Izabella Tabarovsky. Jonny Gould's Jewish State is proudly supported by Dangoor Education and UK Toremet, promoting philanthropy. Find all of Jonny's podcasts, personal appearances and writing on ⁠Substack⁠ and support him with a ⁠coffee here⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

196: Michal Cotler-Wunsh: a headline masterclass in defining and tackling antisemitism.

Help support Jonny by buying him a coffee and find his Substack feed with all his podcasts and articles. What you’ll hear now in this short interview is a headline masterclass in defining and tackling antisemitism. If only I had longer, but our guest filled the room with shorthand wisdom of the deepest kind when we met during an antisemitism conference in Vienna where I was presented with a plethora of brilliant and courageous people. Vienna, the scene of my own family’s escape to Birmingham in 1938 and 1939 from Hitler’s European tyranny. Join us for a compelling conversation with Michal Cotler-Wunsh, Israel's former Special Envoy for Combating Antisemitism, ex-Knesset member, and leading voice on the "oldest hatred" in its modern form. Born in Jerusalem, raised in Canada as stepdaughter to renowned human rights advocate Irwin Cotler, she returned to Israel for military service, law studies, and a career bridging academia, policy, and politics. Her PhD probed free speech limits on campuses—eerily prescient today. Since the October 7 attacks, Michal has spotlighted the surge in antisemitism, featured in the documentary Tragic Awakening: A New Look at the Oldest Hatred. She dissects how anti-Zionism mutates into mainstream Jew-hatred, the failures of the global response, and why this threat demands urgent action from everyone - and you. A must-listen on resilience, truth, and defending shared humanity. Jonny Gould's Jewish State is proudly supported by Dangoor Education and UK Toremet, supporting philanthropy. Help support Jonny by ⁠buying him a coffee⁠ and find his⁠ Substack⁠ feed with all his podcasts and articles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices